i had an amazing run today. i decided to get over my "but i don't waaaaant to run more than 5k" bullshiitake and I found the most AMAZING running music.AMAZING. This shiitake was amazing. like i wanted to dance and pump my arms and i am soooo not usually like this.you can find her here, i want to post it on my FB but i know some of my friends will be upset by the name so i won't.

the one in the post right above your head!!!chubby jones also has 30, 40, 50 minute runs.jogtunes has some, but you have to look at them, i downloaded a dubstep and it was so slow that i felt like i was stuck in mud.also, podrunner and podrunner intervals are awesome if you like zombie techno kind of stuff.

Yeah, go easy Chickpea! When I had strep this summer it took me almost a month after I'd finished my antibiotics to not feel like I was dying when I ran. Being sick takes way more out of you than seems possible :(

I didn't get out at all this week, but the Thursday and Saturday before last I got out for the first time since my half on November 25th (was put on rest for 6 weeks due to a stress fracture). Thursday was pretty blah, but on Saturday I ran 3.5 miles and even though I was just running by how my body felt, my pace was somehow 30+seconds faster than before my half(?!?). I'm going to get out there tomorrow and I feel like I will be back to my old pace (if not way slower...), but that was a nice little confidence boost.

Yay Butternut! (my friend's cat is named Butternut and she calls him Butters) I want to do more long runs in 2013 too. Had sort of planned on a long run yesterday but then the weather wasn't what I expected and I only did 4 miles.

March-St. Patrick's Day 8k with my sisterApril-Seahawks 12k thing I did last year--possibly also with my sister May-if my sister signs up for one, a 5k with her, otherwise nothing planned so farJune-Seattle Rock n' Roll Half. Excited for this one! Actually going to do hill training this time (I may have only done one hill session before the Seattle Half in November...) and hoping to get under 2:10. July-5 mile trail race, mainly just for funAugust-another trail 5 mile race, may do a 10 mile or trail half depending on how the 5 mile in July goesSeptember-Labor Day Half MarathonOctober-Again, nothing unless my sister signs up for a 5k or some other short raceNovember-Seattle Marathon--Last year I had to switch to the half, hoping to do the full this year! Probably not the best choice for a first marathon (the last 6 miles are like all hills... woot haha), but I loved the half course (basically the full course without the flat section in the middle) and it's local, plus it'll be at the end of the quarter so when I'm sore and can't move for two weeks it'll be okay because I'll be too busy studying for finals to do anything anyway haha

I'm excited! My foot has felt fine since I started running again and I managed to not lose much fitness, so as long as I don't re injure it, should be a fun year!

Man I'm jealous of your racing schedules! I'm afraid to sign up for races because I'm taking so many classes and working this semester, so it's probably safest to hold off on racing until this summer. That said, my 20 miles/week resolution is going well. I have to do about half my miles on a treadmill until it starts getting light out, so that sucks, but still. Every year I wuss out and stop running around this time of year, so I'm proud of myself for running at all.

First half of the year today! It was really cold so my plan to use the race as motivation to get my run in worked perfectly. Plan was to run as a training run at my marathon pace which i stuck to pretty well until the end. It's hard to hold back during a race though! You know you're being timed and everyone is passing you. I managed to stay just a little faster than my MP until the last 2 km when i kicked it in to the finish. Within 2 minutes of finishing my hands were so cold I couldn't peel a banana.

Nice job to you guys too!Butternut, ouch! It was around 15 F here so I hear you on being happy to finish. Congrats! (also, the beautiful kitty in your avatar looks sooo much like my kitty!)kilgore - I don't know if you're motivated by races but I'm figuring out that i can use them to get some fun miles in without it being too stressful. And once i pay for it, I'm definitely going to show up even if i know i'm not going to run my best time.

Things are good and not so good. The not so good thing is that I have been experiencing some knee pain recently and it was freaking me out! I have dealt with running pain/issues before, mostly plantar fasciitis, but this pain was strange and inconsistent and new! I had my first appointment with the physiotherapist this morning and came away from it feeling pretty good.

He said I'm strong but that I have weak glutes and tight hips (which I totally knew) and that it's creating a tug-of-war in my legs where my knee is picking up too much of the work when I run. The good news is that I'm not injured yet, and that about a month of increasingly challenging exercises should work to fully resolve the issue.

I was dreading having to re-work my goals for this year - again! - but it seems I can keep most of them intact. I am still running the BMO Vancouver 1/2 but instead of it being my "A" race but I’m taking the pressure off myself and using it as a knee rehab tester/training run. I have switched my "A" half marathon to one in July and am still planning on running a full this fall. Plus maybe a couple 10km races and maaaybe another Half or two in there somewhere.

Big sigh of relief over here. How is everyone else doing? I'll admit I've been a weather wimp lately and have been running indoors more than usual. Stupid winter.

Oh man, I would run in anything but ice to avoid the treadmill. I'm super lucky that this has been a mild winter in Seattle... I have had a few 20-30F runs, and plenty of rainy ones, but it looks like I'll manage to train for a winter marathon without ever resorting to the hated treadmill. 18 days and counting!

Oh man, I would run in anything but ice to avoid the treadmill. I'm super lucky that this has been a mild winter in Seattle... I have had a few 20-30F runs, and plenty of rainy ones, but it looks like I'll manage to train for a winter marathon without ever resorting to the hated treadmill. 18 days and counting!

Well, I could avoid the treadmill when I lived in the Pacific Northwest too! Today is 5F and yesterday was colder so it's not like I'm really a wimp. It can just get forking cold where I live!

Oh man, I would run in anything but ice to avoid the treadmill. I'm super lucky that this has been a mild winter in Seattle... I have had a few 20-30F runs, and plenty of rainy ones, but it looks like I'll manage to train for a winter marathon without ever resorting to the hated treadmill. 18 days and counting!

Well, I could avoid the treadmill when I lived in the Pacific Northwest too! Today is 5F and yesterday was colder so it's not like I'm really a wimp. It can just get forking cold where I live!

Oh, I know you're not a wimp! Like I said, I've been super lucky! Living here I probably don't have to figure out what my temperature limit for outdoor running would be; slick pavement is really the only worry. I lived in Spokane for seven years... those single digit days suck (and the people who live with below zero winters will just scoff at that!)

'Course then there's my boss, who can't believe that I run in the pouring rain. He did a half marathon 30 years ago and can't shut up about how he "assiduously avoided the rain." Well bully for you, dude. But this is Seattle in January. It rains.

Okay, wise people - should I be concerned about this? I am a total running noob and am probably overreacting, but I've got some foot pain happening after my C25K run tonight (week 5 - 20 minutes! woo hoo!) and it's scaring me a little. My best description is that it's sort of below my ankle on the outside of my right foot. Hurts a little when I walk on it. I didn't notice it until after I slowed down to a walk.

I wonder if I just need to get new shoes. I'm running on concrete in Merrells with vibram soles, and I know it's hard on my feet. I mostly just really do not want to stall my progress because I'm feeling pretty pumped and want to continue. Advice?